Marcos champions mass transit at inaugural Traffic Summit

The Department of Transportation is prioritizing mass transit projects to reduce traffic by shifting car owners to public transportation.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista emphasize the need for infrastructure development, including the Metro Manila Subway and the North-South Commuter Railway, to alleviate economic losses estimated at nearly P5 billion per day due to congestion.

“In my view, the main solution to traffic is to improve our public transport system,” President Marcos said during the Metro Manila Development Authority Bagong Pilipinas Townhall Meeting on Wednesday. 

Immediate measures include enhancing the EDSA Busway system and rehabilitating major rail lines. 

“When it comes to traffic, we are hoping to do as much as we can in Metro Manila,” Marcos said. 

“And hopefully, the many lessons that we will learn here in Metro Manila, we will be able to apply in places like Cebu City, where the problem of traffic is pretty bad. Davao also has a big problem with traffic,” he added. 

The administration’s long-term vision includes a 30-year railway master plan with significant investment from Japan to expand the country's rail infrastructure, Bautista said.